Jim began his life on a farm in the irrigation area of the Riverina in NSW. His love of farming followed everything he did and would ultimately shape his career so far. After exploring farming in Thailand in his early twenties, he returned home to work on the family farm before looking further afield, eager to pursue opportunities outside the farm gate. Following his Nuffield Scholarship in 1986, Jim maintained his connection to Nuffield Australia, going on to becoming the CEO of Nuffield...

This special episode explores the impact of avian influenza on the egg industry in Australia. Melinda Hashimoto, CEO of Egg Farmers of Australia, provides insights into the virus, its transmission, and the measures taken to control its spread. The discussion covers the process of detecting and responding to avian influenza outbreaks on farms, the impact on farmers and the supply chain, and the role of biosecurity in preventing the spread of the virus. It also highlights the importance of...

Community Developer. Small Business Owner. Avid Netballer. International Agriculturalist. Local community enthusiast. Sometimes a travelling groupie (for certain bands).  Liz Brennan is a legend, a very, very interesting person, and someone we've been fortunate to have known over the past few years.Her life experience is so incredibly fascinating having worked across the length and breadth of Australia (with a large part in her beloved home state of Western Australia), she's worked...

Lucy Collins knew she wanted to be around animals since she was a child. Although she didn't grow up on a farm, she took every chance to be at the dairy across the road from her family home. Early on she decided that being a Vet, was going to be her calling."I didn't have a clear family farm pathway to follow. So seemed like a natural fit." Takeaways Curiosity and determination are key in pursuing a career in agriculture.Mentors and supportive networks play a crucial role in shaping career...

We are back and we are sitting down with LAWD Senior Director, Tim McKinnon to get the latest on Australia's rural real estate market. A few summarising points: Beef Australia is more than just Beef - international interest across all of Aussie Ag came to Rockhampton in the first week of May.The market dynamics between family farms and corporate/institutional investors vary by sector and region - who's buying and competing where?Government policies, such as live export bans, can create...

Ashley Severin and his wife Lyndee call Curtin Springs in Australia's Northern Territory home. The family has embraced generational opportunity in diversifying the 1 million acre cattle station to other means. They've successfully established and run a tourism business, support local tours, an on-farm restaurant and have explored value add opportunities for their beef cattle. This episode is one of our episodes profiling various Nuffield Farming Scholars. In this chat we cover: Living and...

Jane Snell left a world of Fine Dining to pursue a career in Dairy Farming. As part of our Partnership with Dairy Australia, we are learning more about the Dairy industry and we wanted to understand how her journey has shaped her career today. We cover: Dairy farming can be a rewarding career that offers variety and challenges.Compassion and being an active team member are important qualities in the dairy industry.The beauty of dairy farming lies in the connection with cows and the...

Courtenay DeHoff, aka the Fancy Lady Cowgirl, is in Australia for the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity event. Thanks to our friends over at The Regional PR Co, we've managed to bring her into The Commons in Sydney to share her story with our Aussie audience. In this conversation we explore her upbringing as a local Kansas cowgirl, when the opportunity came to explore career pathways she was drawn to the bright lights and opportunity of Television.Her life now has taken her full...

We were recently given the opportunity to host a conversation at the Norco, PrimeX field days. In 2023 Norco and the National Farmers Federation released a report: The National Farmer Wellbeing Report When it comes to mental health, farmers in Rural Australia face disproportionately high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. As part of our work at Humans of Agriculture, we want to use our platform to have conversations that matter and this one is incredibly important. In this episode,...

It's a foggy May morning in Beaufort, 150kms west of Melbourne.  We grab a coffee and head towards the first of the latest properties that the team at Go.FARM was acquired only a few months earlier, getting a better understanding of the Agronomist who spent his childhood not too far down the highway.  As we tour the property, we quickly pull over, Liam jumps out and 'throws off the city boots' and begins picking up a few stray pieces of timber and baling twine. Evidence that the little things...

This special spotlight is on a support service that is too important not to know about. We met Ross Blanch a member of the Farmer to Lifeline Farmer support program. He's been a lifeline volunteer for more than 31 years and in the past 4 years since starting the Farmer to Lifeline Farmer help line he's answered more than 4,000 calls from Aussie Farmers. If you can share this with a friend, that would be incredible. If you or someone you know, is requiring support the service can be reached on...

Tom and Mick interview Jeremy Cummins, a professional cattle buyer and feedlotter. Jeremy shares his background in the industry, his experience working with his uncle, and his transition into feedlotting. He discusses the types of cattle he buys and the markets he targets. Jeremy also talks about the current sentiment in the cattle market and his predictions for the future. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the Beef Week event and the networking opportunities it...

In 2020, Harry Lloyd was a little lost. He had just finished University and couldn't chase his dream of being a cowboy in America due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, we'djust started the Humans of Agriculture Podcast and Harry was recommended to listen, which turned out to be a pretty pivotal moment for him.  "The one thing I took away from the podcast is to say yes. Plan A's not going to happen anytime soon, so I'll just start saying yes to opportunities and see where it leads...

Jodie Redcliffe studied Psychology, can speak fluent Japanese, is a mother of three and her first memories in agriculture are feeding poddy calves on her Pa’s dairy farm. There’s a lot to unpack in this episode! As a youngster, Jodie moved around regional Queensland as her father worked in pigs and poultry.  “He actually liked pigs a lot more than poultry. And then ironically, I married a chook farmer, which kinda was a little weird to begin with.” If there is someone in your network who is...

Adam DeMamiel is the CEO, Director and Co-Founder of Boys To The Bush, a charity which supports vulnerable youth with intensive programs. His role has changed over the years so now he's not the one running the programs, but empowering others around him to do so. Having his staff find reward from the work they do with kids and speak passionately about their work is what fills Adam's cup.  "I'm not actually working with the kids these days. But for me now, it's just hearing all these stories...

Hey! We're back and this week we thought given it's the first of May, we'd do a quick check in with what's happening at Humans of Ag. We've been out filming with goFARM, NSW DPI, Dairy Australia, and the team at BlackBox.  Our Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in conversation series are alive and well on their channels. We've had the chance to sit on the banks of the Namoi river with Greg Rummery in Walgett, on Tom Coggan's deck overlooking a creek and in a few paddocks with...

We won't be able to give Esther Price justice in these show notes, but if you have ever been in the room with her then you know just how ExtraOrdinary she is. The influence she has on people around her is incredible, particularly when she is on stage, she really is absolutely captivating. Esther calls Western Australia (WA) home and always has. She is about to become a Grandmother and is more physically fit than ever.  "I've had the privilege of work and a love for adventure taking me all...

“I never thought I'd be chatting on an agriculture podcast.” Founder and CEO of IVM Group, Nick Bloor describes his business as having a mission to improve people's lives through plant science. At only 19 years old, Nick founded his first business in vegetation management space. To us, Nick’s work is pretty mind-blowing. And he is so humble in how he talks about the business growth and people. To Nick, people are everything.  “I don't grow a business, our people do.” Podcast partnership:...

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund' Welcome back to the Tom and Mick Show! In this episode they are joined by special guest - Justin Oakenfull, from Elders at Inverell and recently the 2024 National Young Auctioneer Of The Year!  Key Topics: Justin's journey in the auctioneering and livestock industryMarket trends and predictions in the livestock industryJustin's pump-up routine and...

To describe Sarah Sivyer as worldly and business savvy would be absolutely under-selling her. Sarah describes herself as a ‘serious data nerd’ and a ‘serious business model nerd’. After sitting down with her to record the podcast, we believe it and love it! “I'm going to sound a bit wacky, I just love excellent businesses.” Sarah has some incredible experiences and habits that have led to this appetite for continual growth and data-driven success. Just to name a few:  Combined Chemical...

This week we're sitting down with Nancy Crawshaw, the New Zealand winner of the Zanda McDonald Award.Nancy shares her journey in agriculture and the importance of connection to the land. She discusses the multi-generational impact in agriculture and the responsibility of caring for the land for future generations. Nancy talks about her experiences as a Quality Assurance manager in Naracoorte and the challenges and growth that came with managing a team through COVID. She highlights the power...

Tessa Chartres is the 2024 Zanda McDonald Award winner for Australia, in this episode she sits down with host Oli Le Lievre to chat about her background, her role as the General Manager of Business Development at Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL). She highlights the impact of the drought on regional communities and the importance of long-term thinking in preserving agricultural assets for future generations. Tess also shares her involvement with as the Chair of the Southwest Music Regional...

We're about a quarter of the way through 2024 (HOW?!) and we thought it was time to give our Community a bit of an update. It's almost exactly 4 years since the release of our first ever podcast, and there's been almost 250 podcasts since then which feels HUGE.  In that time so much has evolved as we continue to grow and adapt.  A quick shout out to all the ExtraOrdinary humans who have shared their story with us in that time!  In this episode, Oli and Milly talk about where HOA is today,...

Mark Peart believes that purpose should drive a business, closely followed by Profit. It's a concept that may take a bit to digest, however, Mark's views are that with profit, the opportunity to do good can continue for a longer term. Mark has had an extraordinary career, in his early 30s he decided the dream job and life he was living was not necessarily the pathway he wanted to continue to take. He transitioned through various roles, working across Australian agriculture, property...

Mark Peart believes that purpose should drive a business, closely followed by Profit. It's a concept that may take a bit to digest, however, Mark's views are that with profit, the opportunity to do good can continue for a longer term. Mark has had an extraordinary career, in his early 30s he decided the dream job and life he was living was not necessarily the pathway he wanted to continue to take. He transitioned through various roles, working across Australian agriculture, property...